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Results from the Title IX Survey on Sexual Assault

Trigger Warning: This article contains discussions of sexual assault as it manifests itself on Amherst’s campus and during the time students spend here. These statistics are important, but often difficult to read. Please take care of yourself while reading.

Last Wednesday at 11 AM, there was a presentation in the Friedmann Room presenting the findings of the survey on Sexual Assault that students may remember finding in their inboxes last October. The presentation was publicized a) in emails sent out to the listserves of the MRC and WGC last Monday, and b) in the Daily Mail (though missing a location for the event). There was also a forum on Monday that was unattended. There were a total of five students at this presentation. Turnout from the survey was large, totaling in at 847 students, making the results reasonably representative of the student body.

These are the definitions used of the terms present in the graphs and statistics.

The results of the survey are shocking and saddening for two reasons in particular. The first being how prevalent experiences of sexual harassment are on our campus, even three years after Angie Epifano’s article. 80% of current senior women respondents to the survey have been subject to some form of sexual misconduct during their time at Amherst, as well as 36% of men. 9% of all women, and 1% of all men who responded to the survey have experienced rape. 47% of all female students have experienced sexual harassment, as well as 13% of men. Amherst is no longer under the spotlight of media scrutiny, but these numbers should be a reminder to the student body and administration that eliminating sexual assault from Amherst must remain a priority.

The statistics highlighted orange represent a significant statistical difference between two identity groups.

The second reason this data is disturbing is the differences in those values between identifying groups. The survey took gender, race, sexual orientation, and class level into account. Transgender respondents were so small in number that their specific data wasn’t presented in order to protect anonymity. As can be seen above, significantly fewer men than women have reported being sexually assaulted. However, that does not mean that the number of men and transgender individuals that experience sexual misconduct is in any way lessened.

In addition to that, students identifying as queer have been stalked more than their straight counterparts (20% vs. 14%), sexually harassed more (44% vs. 31%), and experienced more nonconsensual touching (28% vs. 18%).

Students of color, compared to white students, also experienced more rape (7% vs 5%), stalking (18% vs 13%), and touching (23% vs 17%), though these margins of difference were small enough to not be considered statistically significant by the Title IX team.

The survey also asked questions about whether students thought the Title IX process to be fair. A majority of men (69% vs. 44%) felt the process was fairer to the complainant (the person who reports an incident of sexual misconduct), whereas the majority of women (49% vs. 45%) felt the process was fairer to the respondent (the accused perpetrator of said sexual misconduct). This is significant because under the narrative of a female complainant and a male respondent—statistically, the most frequently occurring narrative—each gender feels there is a bias against them.

Overall, First Years responded that they felt the process was fair for both complainants and respondents. For the complainant, white students felt that the process was fair in much larger numbers than students of color (67% vs. 36%).

This clearly shows that there are disparities between who believes this process to be fair, regardless of what is the “objective” truth.

For those who didn’t receive information about the presentations or weren’t able to attend, this information will be presented online at some point in the near future, When it does, please be sure to share it with your classmates and friends so the student body can be made aware of the results of this survey. This information is of the utmost importance for us as students and members of this community to be aware of, so we can keep in mind that this is a real issue, and that education around sexual assault and consent is, and always will be of the utmost importance.

12Comments

It’s quite unfortunate that the definition of rape was restricted to the patriarchal, outdated definition of purely penetrative non-consensual sex. If a female forces a male to penetrate her, is that not sexual assault? But this would not fit into any of the categories (maybe “touching”, although it is a stretch). “Forced to penetrate” should be regarded as a form of rape, no more questions.

Since when is having a boyfriend/girlfriend try to control your actions or use “put-downs” considered sexual misconduct? Seriously, the school doesn’t need to be policing our relationship problems that are otherwise legal, unenforceable, and nobody’s responsibility but your own. Sexual harassment and assault are terrible

Glad to see the Amherst community actively and openly discussing these matters. Never ceases to amaze me how Americans seem more squeamish talking about sex-related issues than violence (although in the case of actual rape, it’s more about power and violence than sex). Does disturb me that many of the definitions, like harassment, are so vague and ill-defined and blur lines between healthy flirtation/exploration and molestation. What often is missing in these discussions is a reference to the sense of self and empowerment which makes one person annoyed and dismissive and another tormented by the same behavior.

Ignoring for a second the atrocious definition of sexual misconduct, what do you suppose the student-leaders do? Some of these “misconducts” are no more than flirtation or dirty jokes. Seriously, maybe people need to be more in control of who they spend their time with or get some thicker skin.

There is a bias. Since the survey was voluntary, people who have experienced assault are far more likely to report, leading to such high figures. Sexual assault is still a problem, but it’s a bit amplified in this survey.

Actually, the exact opposite argument could be made as well: many who have experienced sexual assault or harassment would be less likely to report because reporting and naming the event could be painful, retraumatizing, or simply exhausting. Historically, many scholars/analysts who have looked at sexual assault reporting statistics have argued that this is the case. Click-through bias is certainly something to keep in mind when looking at any random-survey statistic, but the possibility of bias does not necessarily amplify the results of the survey. This is especially true in a survey like this where such a huge percentage of the potential pool actually did respond.

The topmost definitions, in the image of the table, of Stalking, Harassment and Relationship Violence are incredibly dubious and subjective. The lower ones (unwelcome comments, physical abuse and repetitive unwanted messaging) make a lot more sense.

[…] I would like to congratulate Amherst College for releasing their campus climate survey. Though shocking, it is an accurate representation of what happens at college that we aren’t aware of. Results can be found here: https://acvoice.com/2015/05/08/results-from-the-title-ix-survey-on-sexual-assault/ […]

This is total nonsense. All you “advocates” should be ashamed of yourselves. You will all be exposed for the frauds you are, and if there is a criminal statute that applies, you should be prosecuted. I for one hope there is a mechanism for your diplomas to be revoked, as they should have been last year. http://www.mindingthecampus.org/2015/06/amhersts-version-of-kafkas-the-trial

This person has it right. You should all be ASHAMED of yourselves for perpetuating this farce. “Rape Culture” my ass. Ask that kid who got expelled for “raping” a girl while he was blackout drunk. Her texts reveal the truth of the story, but you all sit on your hands and do nothing to correct it. The two main perpetrators in this story went off to their post grad lives and they NEVER have to look back at what they did. I pray to God one day you are brought to justice for this, but I have little hope this will happen.